


An Essay on Threats

by TEC



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anger, Criticism Welcome, Debates Encouraged!, Essay, Gen, Threats, proud of this, threat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29815620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TEC/pseuds/TEC
Summary: Threat, a verb"Whoever says it's only a threat if it's physical can leave." CommonSenseDiction.com





	An Essay on Threats

**Author's Note:**

> Why am I legitimately proud of this? Because I worked hard on it, and I think it's a sign that I'm improving, that's why. Also, overanalyzing words is fun.

My AP threatened to give me detention, after interrupting a friend and I's conversation, because I said a bad word, several meters away from him, and I mean SEVERAL. Well, not exactly. Me, not being in the mood for his obsessive need to nitpick everything, replied with a muttered "Whatever" and moved right along, until he stopped me. He demanded that I walk over to him and then demanded an apology for my attitude, which I then declined, not into groveling. That is when he threatened me.

My response was that of a teenage girl, who had enough of the abusive school system she was forced into, raised by a proud, single mother, and most importantly--on two hours sleep. "Don't threaten me."

We quickly went into his office, where I told him bluntly that I don't respond well to threats, like every other human being (teenagers are NOT an alien species. Shocking, I know). His response has stuck with me, months later, because it is so incredibly stupid, so insurmountably idiotic, that I would only tolerate it from a Freshman, who had not been introduced to anything beyond Dr. Seuss yet.

"That wasn't a threat. A threat would be me saying 'I'm gonna punch you in the face.' Threats are only when I'm threatening you, physically."

I'm sorry, what?

I am a Junior, I am 18 years old, I have been in advanced English classes since Freshman year, 360+ days of Shakespeare and vocab quizzes over words we will use once in our lifetime. While I am not going to claim to be the next Neil Gaiman, that was just insulting. Gaslighting me and claiming that what I knew to be true for years was false? Not okay in the slightest, but then he threatened to call my sleeping mother, on her only day off that week. So, I did what he wanted, groveled, and then got out of there, seething.

I was more than willing to threaten him then, and I am still willing now, and this would be a threat even by his own weak definition. Still, I did, and do, not feel like getting arrested and expelled, and so I just ignore any and all interaction I can with them, this not being the only infraction, just the one that oddly stuck with me most. I will instead be writing an essay about the fascinating word that is "threat," an essay he will never read. It will make me feel better nonetheless.

The Webster definition of threat is "an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage; one that threatens; an indication of something impending." He intended to inflict damage on my educational career, as having any kind of detention can prevent me from going to a good school, making all my hand work completely pointless. And all so that he could feel in charge, as he just wanted submission from me, not liking any kind of devious or attitude from a tired human being. He clearly did not want an apology, just wanted the power high. Only teachers who yell curses at their kids can "have bad days." Remember, I just said "Whatever." That's it.

Dictionary.com says that a threat is "a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; an indication or warning of probable trouble, or of being at risk for something terrible; a person or thing that threatens." He declared he was going to give me detention, what we call "D-Hall," and that is definitely a punishment! A punishment does not have to be physical, it does not have to involve laying a hand on someone. As any teenager can tell you, a lecture is almost worse than the punishment itself, whether that be standing in the corner, or getting the belt.

Let's dissect the word "threat" more though, as it is a truly interesting word for how much it is used, and in many different ways. Threat is one of those words that can be used both verbally and nonverbally. A raised fist is just as vocal as saying "I am going to punch you in the face!" and since 70-93 percent of our language is nonverbal, that raised fist can hold even more power than our mouths, what the majority believes is the most important part of communication.

A nonverbal threat can be a raised fist, but also a sinister glare, a too-tight hug, even a seemingly innocent glance at a loved one. Anything can be a threat with the right context, something that writers and readers alike understand, and anyone who paid attention in English class. And anyone who speaks, really. You know what, anyone who understands anything about communication at all. A nonverbal threat is not restricted to a physical body either.

Nonverbal threats might involve someone's career (a pointed glance at a report that can cost someone their job), their reputation (a text with incriminating photos), even something someone cares about. A bully just has to grab someone's essay and hold it as if they were going to tear it in half to get that person to cave. The threatner just has to learn what makes the threatnee tick. It is both interesting and terrifying how many ways we've invented to inflict fear into each other, and how we use it in so many ways, we might not even know we're doing it.

Verbal threats are already spoken for, but are they really? If you asked someone what a threat was, would they agree or disagree that a threat can only be someone implying physical harm to a person? Breaking up what threats are into two categories might shed some light. Let’s ask a different question. What is the difference between a petty threat and a dangerous threat?

A petty threat is what my AP did to me, an act of pettiness, just for spite. It has zero gain, and can actually be damaging to both parties. He ended up angered and losing what little respect I had for him, and I was humiliated and furious. Neither of us won, both of us lost. That is the most defining aspect of a petty threat. If you know the cultural term “Karen” you will know the masters of these petty threats. They are quite good at ruining everyone’s day, including their own.

Here is a scenario: Debra walks into a donut shop and asks for a dozen chocolate dozens, the person at the cash register cheerfully says “Coming right up ma’am! Just need your name!” Debra scoffs, annoyed, she is the only one there, why does she need to give her name? She does not think that someone could walk in, and order something similar, or even think that it might just be policy. She doesn’t think much at all. She ends up giving her name after giving the poor girl a nasty look, souring the girl’s once cheerful mood. This pleases Debra, because if she has to be inconvenienced slightly, everyone else has to be. 

Time passes, as it usually does, and she gets even more annoyed. It’s been over five minutes! Why hasn’t she gotten her donuts yet? She walks up to the register, demanding for a refund for her time wasted, not realizing that she had been so distracted on her phone, that she missed when the girl said her name, with her order. The girl did not want to invoke the woman’s wrath, so she let the woman do whatever it was she was doing and left the order right on the countertop. This only enraged her more, as her donuts might be cold now! Without even checking on them, she starts screaming and calling the girl profanities, threatening how she is going to get the teenager fired for daring to leave her order somewhere safe, not thinking that if she had been paying attention, she would have been out of there by now. She also fails to see a new customer coming in.

To cut the story short, she gets arrested. The new customer recorded the entire encounter, which lasted for another five minutes, even when the girl started crying in the middle, and so there was nothing Debra could do but sit in the police car, shocked. She had not gotten her way, and she couldn’t even have a donut!

Who did this benefit? No one! The girl is traumatized and the woman now has a record (if she didn’t have one before). This wasn’t even worth effort, but it was done anyway because she wanted to feel powerful. She didn’t care that it made herself upset, that they were just donuts, worth maybe five dollars, and that she could have been stuffing her face by then. She wanted to be petty and hurt someone, and only hurt herself in the progress. An alternate name for this would be a No-Win Threat, because no one wins in these situations.

I am going to spare you another long winded story for dangerous threats, as they are a little easier to swallow. 

These do tremendous harm to another person, either emotionally, physically, or both. They can be from raising a fist to holding a knife over someone’s dog. They are not limited to violence though. Saying they are going to damage someone’s educational career or holding explicit photos of someone ransom are also dangerous threats, as they cause much more permanent harm to that person, than a petty threat. A petty threat can be a funny story to tell years later, a dangerous threat will haunt a person for the rest of their life. 

Dangerous threats are also a power play, but they are for explicit gain. Hold a knife over someone’s dog, and they’ll give you their wallet. Claim you are going to send explicit photos, that the person shot of themselves, to their classmates, they’ll give you the answers to any test and quiz. Not only are the “rewards” larger, but the consequences are much more dire as well. Both receive hefty fines and jail time, and that’s not even accounting for what the person being threatened has gone through, and experiencing. Definitely going to need therapy for years to come.

My point? My AP was dead wrong. A threat is not just threatening to punch someone, it is not restricted to physical acts. Saying you are going to waste my time, tarnish my reputation, and damage my educational career, just because I did not grovel at your feet, is a threat. Now, it wasn’t a good one, but it was a threat. I don’t even need to be a somewhat decent English student to know that, I just have to read any book, whatsoever. 

**Author's Note:**

> I think my new thing might just to be to overanalyze words until everyone is sick of them and can't use them anymore.   
> If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Have any critiques, don't sugarcoat it! If you want some advice, I am an idiot. I can help you on being stupid.  
> Happy writing!


End file.
